Improvement of myocardial blood flow by lipid‐lowering therapy with pravastatin is modulated by apolipoprotein E genotype

Abstract

Objective. Apolipoprotein E (apoE) polymorphism affects the risk of advanced coronary artery disease, but its role in early atherosclerosis remains unknown. We used positron emission tomography (PET) to study whether coronary reactivity or its response to pravastatin is related to the apoE genotype. Material and methods. Samples from 44 mildly hypercholesterolaemic men (aged 35±4 years) of an earlier trial were re‐analysed according to apoE genotype. Subjects were randomized to receive either 40 mg/day pravastatin or placebo for 6 months. To assess coronary reactivity, myocardial blood flow was measured by PET at rest and during adenosine infusion. PET studies and lipid analyses were done at baseline and after 6 months of therapy. Results. There were no differences between apoE ϵ3/3 and ϵ4/3 genotypes in basal or adenosine‐stimulated flow or in coronary flow reserve (CFR) at baseline. There was a significant apoE genotype‐by‐treatment group interaction regarding the change in adenosine‐stimulated flow (ANCOVA; p = 0.018) and CFR (p = 0.020) at the end of the study. In the pravastatin group, the adenosine‐stimulated flow increased by 32.5 % in subjects with ϵ3/3 (n = 9), but decreased non‐significantly (−14.4 %) in subjects with ϵ4/3 (n = 9) (p = 0.0009). The corresponding changes in CFR were +17.8 % for ϵ3/3 and (−11.9 % for ϵ4/3 (p = 0.05). There were no significant changes from the baseline values in placebo recipients. After pravastatin treatment, both genotype groups showed a similar decrease in serum total and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (p<0.0001 for both). Conclusions. Coronary function improves by 6 months of pravastatin in subjects with the apoE ϵ3/3 genotype, but not in those with the ϵ4/3.

• Atherosclerosis
• endothelium
• genetics
• pharmocogenetics
• positron emission tomography

Acknowledgements

The study has received financial support from the Medical Research Grants of the Turku University Central Hospital, the Academy of Finland, Helsinki, the Medical Research Foundation of the Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, the Pirkanmaa Regional Fund of the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Finnish Foundation for Cardiovascular Research and the Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation. Bristol‐Myers Squibb Finland provided the investigational drugs free of charge. We thank Marita Koli, Mervi Niittylahti and Outi Lumme and the personnel of the Turku National PET Centre for their skilful technical assistance.